Overview of NIJ's Fellowship Programs

NIJ sponsors fellowship programs to strengthen and broaden the pool of researchers looking at the issues of crime and justice by:

Providing talented researchers — who hold a terminal degree in any academic discipline and are early in their career — with an opportunity to elevate their independently generated research and ideas to the level of national discussion.

Encouraging promising doctoral students in the application of critical and innovative thinking on pressing criminal justice problems.

Fostering the professional development of criminal justice researchers and professionals by providing them an opportunity to work full-time on research addressing criminal justice issues relevant to the work of NIJ and public policy.

Encouraging students from any academic discipline to propose original research that has direct implications for criminal justice in the United States.

This
W.E.B. Du Bois Program furthers the Department’s mission by advancing knowledge regarding the confluence of crime, justice, and culture in various societal contexts. This year NIJ is growing the W.E.B. Du Bois Program to fund both scholars who are advanced in their careers and seek to conduct research which advances the study of race and crime, as well as fellows who are early in their careers and seek the opportunity to elevate their research ideas to the level of national discussion. Learn more about the W.E.B. Du Bois fellowship program, including how to apply, and learn about past fellows.

The
Visiting Fellows Program brings leading researchers into residency at NIJ to make foundational contributions to criminology or criminal justice and give them an opportunity to work side-by-side with NIJ scientists to shape the direction of our research programs. NIJ accepts several types of fellows, including those who work mainly in academic or other research settings, policy fellows who focus mainly in a criminal justice policy or practice setting, and partnership fellows who cross multiple boundaries.
Learn more about the Visiting Fellows Program, including how to apply, and view a list of past fellows.

The
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Fellowships, through a partnership with the National Science Foundation and AAAS, supports distinguished young scholars who are selected based on their significant contributions to science and research. Learn more about the AAAS Fellowships, including how to apply, on the
AAAS Fellowship Application websiteExit Notice.

We support the
Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) Executive Branch Policy Fellowship program by providing SRCD funds to aid in their goal to bridge the gap between developmental science and public policy. SRCD competitively selects fellows and places them in residence at government agencies to gain first-hand experience with the intersection of science and policy. SRCD partners with the AAAS Science and Technology Fellowships program so that their fellows also participate in that program.
Learn more, including how to apply, from SRCD's Executive Branch Fellowships web pageExit Notice.

American Psychological Association Executive Branch Science Fellowships are made possible through a partnership with the American Psychological Association (APA), which funds one stellar young scholar per year to spend a year working as a special assistant in executive branch science mission agencies, most often in research funding and coordinating offices. APA partners with the AAAS Science and Technology Fellowships program so that their fellows also participate in that program. Learn more about the APA Science Fellowships, including how to apply, on the
APA Executive Branch Science Fellowship Program websiteExit Notice.

In addition to the programs listed above, we also occasionally seek postdoctoral fellows to conduct research in specific areas. Some topics studied by postdoctoral fellows in the past include violence against women, teen dating violence and tribal programs. Watch our forthcoming and current funding pages for future opportunities.